An Ol' Broad's Ramblings
Palin Hacker Verdict
Jury convicts Palin e-mail intruder on two counts; mistrial declared on ID theft
A federal jury this afternoon convicted Sarah Palin e-mail intruder David C. Kernell of felony destruction of records to hamper a federal investigation and misdemeanor unlawfully obtaining information from a protected computer.
The jury acquitted Kernell, 22, of felony wire fraud.
U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Phillips declared a mistrial on another charge, felony identity theft, after the jurors said they were hopelessly deadlocked.
The felony records destruction charge carries a maximum possible 20-year prison sentence, which is virtually certain not to be applied in this case. Federal sentencing guidelines that would apply in this case set a range of 15 to 21 months and allow for probation.
Honestly, I don’t want to see this stupid kid go to prison for 20 years, but I certainly don’t feel that 15 to 21 months is sufficient! Since he’s a Democrat politician’s kid, we’ll be lucky if he gets probation. Cynical? Yeah….I guess I am. We’ve seen way too many politician’s kids get away with damn near everything….especially Dem’s kids.
Sarah Palin had this comment on her Facebook page:
My family and I are thankful that the jury thoroughly and carefully weighed the evidence and issued a just verdict. Besides the obvious invasion of privacy and security concerns surrounding this issue, many of us are concerned about the integrity of our country’s political elections. America’s elections depend upon fair competition. Violating the law, or simply invading someone’s privacy for political gain, has long been repugnant to Americans’ sense of fair play. As Watergate taught us, we rightfully reject illegally breaking into candidates’ private communications for political intrigue in an attempt to derail an election.
I want to thank the public servants who worked so hard on this case, particularly the jurors who gave up precious time from their jobs and families to listen to the evidence and reach a decision.
My family and I appreciate the good people of Knoxville, Tennessee, who showed us true Southern hospitality. We can’t wait to visit again – but without having a subpoena in hand.
She’s a lot more gracious than I would be, that’s for sure!
